A Dream Cruise on the Falcon

Imagine making like Han Solo and flying the Millennium Falcon. It continues to be the things backyard playdates are made of. Now with the help of Disney’s creative makers —Imagineers in Mouse speak— kids can put their tushies in the pilot’s seat.

Book a cruise on the Disney Dream, one of Disney Cruise Line’s four vessels, and you can hop aboard that Kessel running spacecraft for real. As part of the Dream’s recent dry dock enhancements, the Falcon play area lives in Disney’s Oceaneer Club, a space open to kids ages 3 to 12.

Before you start crying in your blue milk, adults can crew the Falcon too. When on board the Dream, download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app on your mobile device or check the printed Personal Navigator publication in your stateroom each day. Look at the daily schedule for open house opportunities in the Oceaneer Club, and you can check it out with your kiddos.

This is jaw dropping, amazing stuff, folks. It’s not just the Wookiee who’s winning on the Falcon. Everyone who experiences the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy wins. Simply incredible.

I recently sailed on the Dream and had a chance to check out the baddest ship in the galaxy. Below are my favorite Falcon finds.

The Cockpit

They knocked it out of the galaxy with this one. The movie set-worthy recreation of Han and Chewie’s sweet spot looks like it just flew right off of the screen. Buttons, switches, knobs and even the famed throttle all work. Hang on as you zip through hyperspace and cruise some of the coolest planets. And we ain’t just talking about Hoth. Tatooine, Endor, Kashyyyk and other lands await. It’s all footage from the Star Tours: The Adventure Continues attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland. They even resurrected the Death Star footage from the original version, which you can only see here. And don’t forget to look up above the window for Han’s lucky dice. Check it out in action below.

R2-D2

That astromech droid can be found on board and kicking back inside a special droid repair unit. Step up to him and he buzzes, bleeps and flashes. R2’s dome spins, and he even bounces a bit when excited. When it comes to photo ops, he’s definitely the droid you’re looking for.

The Holochess Table

It can’t be all work and no play in space, even for smugglers. A larger version of the Falcon’s game table may not feature stop-motion holographic creatures in a calculated rumble, but that doesn’t make it any less cool. It serves as a place where kids can engage in arts and crafts and soak up the scenery. No chess games take place, but that means you don’t have to worry about a Wookiee pulling people's arms out of their socket when they lose.

Training Remote and Helmet

Look on the shelf just behind the holochess table, and you’ll find a training remote ball, a helmet with a blinder and a lightsaber just like the ones Luke used in “A New Hope.” Wanna see something cool? Patience, young Jedi. Stare at the training remote long enough and it levitates and flashes.

Chewie Wuz Here

As copilot of the Falcon, Chewbacca feels comfortable enough to leave his stuff lying around the ship. Keep an eye out for his bowcaster, located in the computer game laden control room, and his bandolier and stash bag.

The Smooching Wall

When the Imagineers were building the Falcon play area, they had a blank wall to fill. They decided to recreate the spot where Han and Leia smooch for the first time. Although it has light-up effects and looks as if it’s seen plenty of sky miles, it doesn’t do much else. Yet when moms and dads visit during open house, they often recreate the encounter by posing for a kiss.

Jedi Training

Jedi training experiences take place on the Falcon. Young Padawans even learn how to use the Force and move crates and boxes. If Stormtroopers and other Imperial baddies board the ship, they can put the whammy on them too. Here’s a video of what happened during my tour.

Although the Star Wars Day at Sea events don't begin on the Disney Fantasy ship until early 2016, the Force is already strong with Star Wars merch in the Disney Dream gift shops.

In the next installment of Nerds On Holiday, we’ll take a look at the new “Wreck-It Ralph”-inspired sweet shop on board the Disney Dream.